Bark-cutter



(No Medel.)

R.. o. KIYRBY. BARE GUTTER. Ne. 355,179, Patented Deez, 188@ IlNrrnD Srarns PATENT raten,

RICHARD CORNELIUS KIRBY, OF SANTA CRUZ, CALIFORNIA.

f BARK-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent .'L\`l'o.4 355,179, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed June 23, i886.

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, RICHARD CORNELIUS l KIRBY, ot'v Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Bark-Cutters; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to an improved machine for cutting bark and p reparing it for tanners use, and said machine comprises, among otherparts hereinafter described, a cutter-carrying wheel havinga hub fixed upon the driving-shaft, a central radialweb, and a broad rim, through which slots are made alternately upon opposite sides, cutters extending longitudinally through these slots, and a feedchute through which the bark is introduced and brought into contact with the rim and the. cutters, said chute having an interior adjustable portion, which may be set up so as to regulate the iineness to which the bark is cut.

The invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations of parts, all of which will be described, claimed, and more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a vertical section of the machine taken transversely oi the axis. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken through' the plane of the axis. Fig. 3 is a View" of the rim of the cutter-carrying wheel,showing in dotted lines the arrangement of the cutters.-

A is a casing, made cylindrical in shape, of a diameter slightly larger than that of the cutter-wheel and having considerable space at each side of the wheel, and an opening below, as shown at B, for the discharge of the bark. This casing is made in two parts and has a liange at the bottom, by which it maybe secured in any desired position, and on one side it extends up nearly straight to a point above the top of the circular part in order to form one side of the feed-chute. The other portion of the casing is provided with an extension, E, forming the front wall of t-he feedchute, and is made semicircular and hinged at the bottom, as shown at C, so that it may be opened. It has lugs, as shown at D, which come in contact `with the front wall of the feed-chute, and are locked in place by means of latches hinged to the sides of the feed-chute. The fixed portion of the casing is provided- Serial No. 206.046. (No model.)

l withjournal-boxes G upon each side, and the shaft H turns in these boxes, having a suit able driving-pulley keyed to it on one of the projecting ends.

Within the casing is the cutter-carrying wheel I, which is of considerable width, and is connected with the hub J by a central jiange, K. This hub is keyed to the shaft H, and the wheel is caused to revolve simultaneously with the shaft.

Through the rim of wheel I slots are made upon each side of the central web. In the present case I have shown three slots upon one side, equidistant from each other around the circumference, and three slots upon the other side, also `equidistant from each other and made midway between the first-named slots, so that there are reallysix cutters disposed at equal distances apart around the circumference of the rim, but alternating so as to stand upon opposite sides of the web. The cutters upon one side extend about half the Width of the wheelrim, and those upon the opposite side the other half. These cutters are bolted or secured so that their edges project slightly through the rim, forming acute angles, with the edges in the direction toward which the wheel is caused to revolve.

Vithin the chute E is placed a three-sided supplemental frame, L, the back of which extends downward to a point opposite or below the middle of the cutter-wheel, and it is made with notches or corrugations, as shown at M. A iiange, N, upon the upper edge of this supplemental frame rests upon the top of the chute and suspends said frame Within the chute.

Through the rear portion of the frame L a bolt or bolts, O, extend, and it is screwthreaded to receive nuts I, which are screwed upon it. Another bolt, Q, passes through the rearof the hopper lower down, whichis also provided with nuts R, through which it passes. The adjusting-screws O and Q serve two pur` poses. The screw O has an enlarged head, a,

fitting into a counter-sunk hole in the back of trary, passes through threads' cut in the back IOO ofthe casing A, and its front or rounded end presses against the back of the adjustable frame L and forces it forward as much as may be desired to regulate tle cut, the nuts P of the screw O being relaxed to allow it to be moved. By the use of these bolts the adj ust-y able franie L may be moved nearer to or farther from the face of the cutter-carrying wheel. When drawn back the cutters pass a considerable distance from the corrugations (shown at M) and the bark will be cut correspondingly coarse, but when the corrugated portion is moved up close to the wheel and the cutters tical feed-chute extending upward from one side thereof, the adjustable three-sided frame fitting within the feed-chute and casing and having corrugations upon its lower rear edge, and the adjusting andholding screws, substantially as herein described.

2. A bark-cutter consisting of a wheel rotating in a vertical plane and having knives 0r cutters projecting through the rim thereof, as shown, the casing having a vertical feedchute extending upward from one side thereof, the adjustable three-sided frame suspended within said feed-ehnte,said casing being formed in two parts, the front portion being hinged at the bottom and provided with the front of the fecdchute, and the lugs and latches, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof` I'have hereunto set my hand.

RICHARD CORNELIUS KIRBY.

Vitnesses: 1

W. VVANZER, J. XV. Jirnvrs. 

